SATIRA XIV.

THE EDUCATION OF EXAMPLE.

Home teachers as they

are; the

cure,

5

Plurima sunt, Fuscine, et fama digna sinistra, Et nitidis maculam ac rugam figentia rebus, Quae monstrant ipsi pueris traduntque parentes. Si damnosa senem juvat alea, ludit et heres gamester, Bullatus, parvoque eadem movet arma fritillo. the epi- Nec de se melius cuiquam sperare propinquo Concedit juvenis, qui radere tubera terrae, Boletum condire, et eodem jure natantes Mergere ficedulas didicit, nebulone parente Et cana monstrante gula. Quum septimus annus Transierit puero, nondum omni dente renato, Barbatos licet admoveas mille inde magistros, Hinc totidem, cupiet lauto coenare paratu Semper, et a magna non degenerare culina. the brutal Mitem animum et mores modicis erroribus aequos 15 master, Praecipit, atque animas servorum et corpora nostra Materia constare putat paribusque elementis,

An saevire docet Rutilus, qui gaudet acerbo

5. bullatus] "in his teens." See Sat. v. 164, 165, and note. "Parvo," "miniature."

7. radere] See Sat. v. 116. "Tuber terrae" was the Greek name to distinguish it from 'tuber,' a "fruittree." But the "terrae was often

66

dropped.
8. boletum] Sat. v. 147 and note.
"Condire,"
Eodem
jure:" the same as the "boletus."
9. mergere] "gulp down."
ib. ficedulas] See dict. with the
antepenult. short. Martial has it

:

11

long: "patulo lucet ficedula lumbo,” Ep. xiii. 5.

9, 10. nebulone-gula] "With a spendthrift parent and hoary gullet (i. e. his parent's) to show the way."

19. septimus annus] The legal period of infantia' terminated with this year.

12, 13. inde-hine] "a thousand at each elbow." "Admoveas," the technical term for bringing up a siege apparatus: "lay siege to him with."

15. erroribus] dat. after "aequos." 18. Rutilus] It is not known who

21

Plagarum strepitu, et nullam Sirena flagellis Comparat, Antiphates trepidi laris ac Polyphemus, Tum felix, quoties aliquis tortore vocato Uritur ardenti duo propter lintea ferro? Quid suadet juveni laetus stridore catenae, Quem mire afficiunt inscripta ergastula, carcer The adul- Rusticus? Exspectes, ut non sit adultera Largae 25 Filia, quae numquam maternos dicere moechos Tam cito nec tanto poterit contexere cursu, Ut non ter decies respiret? Conscia matri Virgo fuit: ceras nunc hac dictante pusillas Implet, et ad moechos dat eisdem ferre cinaedis. 30 Sic natura jubet: velocius et citius nos

teress.

Corrumpunt vitiorum exempla domestica, magnis
Quum subeunt animos auctoribus. Unus et alter
Forsitan haec spernant juvenes, quibus arte benigna
Et meliore luto finxit praecordia Titan:
Sed reliquos fugienda patrum vestigia ducunt,

is meant. Perhaps the 'Rutilus' of Sat. xi. 2.

19. Sirena] i. e. music. "Flagellis," the sound of the lash.

An

20. Antiphates-Polyphemus]" the man-eater of his household." A forcible term for a brutal master. tiphates, the king of the Laestrygones, and the Cyclops Polyphemus, are the two cannibals of the Odyssey. Cf. Sat. xv. 16-23 and note. For the proceedings of Antiphates, see Odyssey, x. 116, Αὐτίχ ̓ ἕνα μάρψας ἑτάρων, ὡπλίσσατο δόρπον. Similarly the Cyclops, Od. ix. 289— 292, Σὺν δὲ δύω μάρψας, ὥστε σκύλακας, ποτὶ γαίῃ Κόπτε ... Τοὺς δὲ διαμελεῖστὶ ταμὼν ὡπλίσσατο δόρπον Ησθιε δ ̓ ὥστε λέων.

22. uritur] One mode of punishing slaves was to burn them with red-hot plates, laminae.' See Plaut. Asin. iii. 2. 4, "Stimulos, laminas, cruces compedesque."

ib. duo-lintea] sub. "amissa." "The merest trifle."

24, 25. ergastula, carcer rusticus] See note on Sat. vi. 151. The terms

35

Home

teaching

as it should be.

Et monstrata diu veteris trahit orbita culpae.
Abstineas igitur damnandis: hujus enim vel
Una potens ratio est, ne crimina nostra sequantur
Ex nobis geniti; quoniam dociles imitandis

40

46

Turpibus ac pravis omnes sumus; et Catilinam
Quocumque in populo videas, quocumque sub axe:
Sed nec Brutus erit, Bruti nec avunculus usquam.
Nil dictu foedum visuque haec limina tangat,
Intra quae puer est. Procul hinc, procul inde puellae
Lenonum, et cantus pernoctantis parasiti.
Maxima debetur puero reverentia. Si quid
Turpe paras, ne tu pueri contemseris annos:
Sed peccaturo obsistat tibi filius infans.
Nam si quid dignum Censoris fecerit ira
Quandoque, et similem tibi se non corpore tantum
Nec vultu dederit, morum quoque filius, et qui
Omnia deterius tua per vestigia peccet,
Corripies nimirum, et castigabis acerbo
Clamore, aut post haec tabulas mutare parabis? 55
Unde tibi frontem libertatemque parentis,
Quum facias pejora senex, vacuumque cerebro
Jam pridem caput hoc ventosa cucurbita quaerat ?
Hospite venturo, cessabit nemo tuorum.

41-43. Catilinam-usquam] "A
Catiline you may meet with any
where. Illustrious men, like Brutus
and Cato, are not so common.'
42. axe] See note on Sat. viii.
116.

43. Brutus] Junius Brutus, who killed Caesar.

ib. Bruti-avunculus] Cato Uticensis. He was half-brother of Brutus' mother, Servilia.

46. pernoctantis] "drunken." Lit. making a night of it.

50. Censoris-ira] See note to Sat. iv. 12.

52. morum quoque filius] "offspring of your character also." 53. per] "in following." 55. tabulas] "will." See Sat. i. 68 and note.

57, 58. vacuumque - quaerat] "and require treatment as a lu

natic." Cf. Sat. xiii. 97, 98.

·

50

58. ventosa cucurbita] a "cuppingglass." Lit. an air gourd; so called from its resemblance in shape to that vegetable. The ventosa' is part of the term in Latin medical writers, and not merely an epithet added by Juvenal; it means "airy," i. e. acting by the air. The cupping-glass really acts by partially exhausting the air. It is held over a spirit-lamp, and a vacuum being thus produced, the atmospheric pressure over the part to which the glass is applied is reduced below that of the surrounding parts, and the blood rises to the surface. The Romans, who were ignorant of the principle of a vacuum, conceived that this was the result of some action of the air itself, and so called the instrument "ventosa."

59-63.] "Were a guest expected,

"Verre pavimentum, nitidas ostende columnas, 60 Arida cum tota descendat aranea tela,

65

Hic lavet argentum, vasa aspera tergeat alter;"
Vox domini fremit instantis virgamque tenentis.
Ergo miser trepidas, ne stercore foeda canino
Atria displiceant oculis venientis amici,
Ne perfusa luto sit porticus; et tamen uno
Semodio scobis haec emundat servulus unus.
Illud non agitas, ut sanctam filius omni
Adspiciat sine labe domum vitioque carentem?
Gratum est, quod patriae civem populoque dedisti,
Si facis, ut patriae sit idoneus, utilis agris,
Utilis et bellorum et rebus pacis agendis.

71

Force of Plurimum enim intererit, quibus artibus et quibus parental example.

75

hunc tu
Moribus instituas. Serpente ciconia pullos
Nutrit, et inventa
per devia rura lacerta:
Illi eadem sumtis quaerunt animalia pinnis.
Vultur, jumento et canibus crucibusque relictis,
Ad fetus properat partemque cadaveris affert.
Hic est ergo cibus magni quoque vulturis, et se
Pascentis, propria quum jam facit arbore nidd. 80
Sed leporem aut capream famulae Jovis et generosae
In saltu venantur aves: tunc praeda cubili
Ponitur: inde autem, quum se matura levabit
Progenies, stimulante fame, festinat ad illam,
Quam primum praedam rupto gustaverat ovo.

not one of your slaves would have an idle moment."

62. vasa aspera] See note on Sat. ix. 141.

67. scobis] This was sprinkled on the floor, like the sand in our country inns.

77. crucibus] Crucifixion, as is well known, was the punishment of slaves and the worst species of malefactors. The ordinary Roman practice was to leave the bodies hanging on the cross, and therefore exposed to the attacks of birds of prey, like the carcases of other animals. Hence

85

"crucibus" is here joined to "jumento et canibus (scil. mortuis). The removal of our Saviour's body from the cross was in compliance with the Jewish law, which would have been violated by its hanging there during the Sabbath.

78. fetus] "her young." 79. hic] "the same is "Magni," "full-grown." 81, 82. famulae-aves] "eagles." The "et" couples the "famulae and " "generosae. 82. cubili] "their young." So "nido," Sat. v. 143.

"

Inherited Aedificator erat Centronius, et modo curvo failings; house- Litore Cajetae, summa nunc Tiburis arce, building; Nunc Praenestinis in montibus alta parabat Culmina villarum, Graecis longeque petitis Marmoribus, vincens Fortunae atque Herculis aedem,

superstition;

avarice.

Ut spado vincebat Capitolia nostra Posides.
Dum sic ergo habitat, Centronius imminuit rem,
Fregit opes; nec parva tamen mensura relictae
Partis erat: totam hanc turbavit filius amens,
Dum meliore novas attollit marmore villas.

90

95

100

Quidam, sortiti metuentem sabbata patrem,
Nil praeter nubes et coeli numen adorant,
Nec distare putant humana carne suillam,
Qua pater abstinuit; mox et praeputia ponunt:
Romanas autem soliti contemnere leges,
Judaicum ediscunt et servant ac metuunt jus,
Tradidit arcano quodcumque volumine Moses:
Non monstrare vias, eadem nisi sacra colenti;
Quaesitum ad fontem solos deducere verpos.
Sed pater in causa, cui septima quaeque fuit lux 105
Ignava et partem vitae non attigit ullam.
Sponte tamen juvenes imitantur cetera: solam

86. Centronius] He is not otherwise known.

The

100, 101.] Jews were frequently in bad repute at Rome under the 90. Fortunae See Herculis] Empire. note on Sat. vi. temple of Fortune was at Praeneste; 543. that of Hercules at Tibur. Hence "Tiburis" and "Praenestinis," 1. 87, 88. Both temples were of great celebrity. See Mac ad loc.

91.] The eunuch ("spado ") Posides was the freedman of Claudius. Suet. Claud. 28. He erected a magnificent bathing-establishment at Baiae.

94. turbavit] See Sat. vii. 129 and

103, 104. non monstrare-solos deducere] In apposition with " quodcumque." There is of course no such "traditum" in the books of Moses; but the practice of the Jews may have given occasion for the charge. See St. Matt. v. 43. St. John iv. 9. Of course, too, the tendency of the combined immorality and superstition of the Roman character at this period, was to make those who kept aloof from both free-thinkers, and disposed to ridicule all religion. 104. verpos] "circumcised.' 106. partem ullam]

part in.'

"took no